Towards an integrated
approach to the recognition of
professional competence
through academic qualification
Dr Darryll Bravenboer and Dr Stan Lester
Institute for Work Based Learning
Overview
• Introduction
• 5 minute workshop activity
• Professions and competence
• The impact of recent changes in higher apprenticeship policy
• Case studies
• RICS and CIOB – BA (Hons) Professional Practice in Quantity Surveying and Commercial
Management, BA (Hons) Professional Practice in Construction Site Management
• CAA – BSc (Hons) Professional Aviation Pilot Practice
• CMI – Middlesex University Work Based Learning Curriculum Framework
• Group identification of other examples and/or opportunities
• Group discussion of the potential implications curriculum development practice
5 minute workshop activity
• Discuss with your partner the following:
• What are the differences between ‘higher education’ and ‘competence’?
• How can academic qualification demonstrate ‘competence’ to perform a job role?
• How do professional associations recognise knowledge, understanding and skills?
• Feedback to the group
Introduction
• Recognising knowledge, understanding and skills
• Professional associations and higher education providers
• The perceived limitations of competence for higher education
• ‘Academic competence’ and the focus on mastery within an identified disciplinary knowledge
domain
• ‘Operational competence’ and the emphasis on outcomes and skill performance (Barnett 1994)
• The perceived limitations of academic qualification in assessing competence
• Apprenticeships, ‘knowledge’ and ‘competence’ qualifications
• NOS as the “highest common denominator benchmark for the competence and learning of
professional, managerial and technical roles” (Cracknell 2013)
• The idea of professional competence
• “professional competence integrates knowledge, understanding, skills and values” (Engineering
Council 2013)
• “The habitual and judicious use of communication, knowledge, technical skills, clinical reasoning,
emotions, values, and reflection in daily practice for the benefit of the individual and community
being served.” (Epstein and Hundert 2002)
Professions and competence
• Routes to qualified status in professions
(2007-8 study, pub. PARN 2008 & SHE 2009)
• Course-based and practice-based components
• Sequential, parallel, integrated and experiential routes
• Trends: more diverse routes, raising the level, emphasis on (and assessment of) practice
• Issues: poor uptake/encouragement of work-based routes, assessment under/overdeveloped
• Williams & Hanson 2011 (PARN) – interest in apprenticeship-type routes.
• Competence and assessment
(2012 study, pub. A&EHE 2013)
• ‘Internal’ approaches – attributes of person – developmental
• ‘External’ approaches – meet a standard – assessment-oriented (e.g. occupational standards)
• Clear move to ‘external’ model, but alternatives to occupational approach.
• Emergence of a distinct professional approach to competence (forthcoming)
• Ethos/ethics, key standards and processes, self-management/development;
act as a professional […] over a career, rather than perform a defined role
• Universal standards for profession, not core-and-options
• Capability – predictive value at sign-off.
The impact of recent changes in
higher apprenticeship policy
• Traditional understanding of ‘apprenticeship’
• Modern Apprenticeships
• NVQs, literacy, numeracy, generic skills, off the job ‘knowledge-based’ certificate
• Recent criticisms of apprenticeships •
•
•
•
70% at level 2 rather than at level 3
Narrow and short-term approaches to ‘on-the-job’ training
Concern that ‘competence-based’ assessment not supporting further learning
Lack of progression to higher-level learning
• Higher Apprenticeships
• 5 initial frameworks – IT, Accountancy, Engineering, Contact Centre Management, Purchasing
• The Specification of Apprenticeship Standards in England (SASE) – 2011
• Higher Apprenticeship Fund - £25m, 45 new frameworks, diverse professional sectors
• The revised SASE (March 2013)
• The NAS consultation on Higher Apprenticeships at Degree levels
• Greater consistency with higher education qualifications - credit volume, level 6 and 7
• Strong emphasis on professional recognition – credit ‘rating’, integration of professional status
Case study 1 – RICS and CIOB
• Higher Apprenticeship in Construction Management - level 5 development
• FdA Professional Practice in Construction Operations Management
• RICS Project Management pathway to Associate Membership
• Fast track access to Associate Membership as a consequence of work-based learning approach
• Higher Apprenticeship in Construction Management – level 6 development
• Higher Apprenticeship Project Level 6 Working Group and consultation with construction sector
employers
• RICS Professional Competencies required for Chartered Membership
•
‘Quantity Surveying and Construction’, ‘Project Management’ pathways
• CIOB Education Framework
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•
•
•
•
‘Commercial Management’, ‘Construction Management’ programmes
BA (Hons) Professional Practice in Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management - approved
BA (Hons) Professional Practice in Construction Site Management - approved
Level 6 Higher Apprenticeship issued by CITB September 2013
Programmes submitted to RICS and CIOB for accreditation
• Integrating professional competencies and academic learning outcomes through WBL
• Greater alignment of professional roles leading to transformation of practice
Case study 2 – Civil Aviation
Authority (CAA)
• Higher Apprenticeship in Professional Aviation Pilot Practice – level 6 development
• 95k addition trained commercial airline pilots required in Europe over the next 20 years (Boeing)
• Cost of training to gain the Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) ranging from 80-100k
• CAA approved Professional pilot training attracted no credit towards higher education qualifications
• Middlesex worked with the Aviation Skills Partnership (ASP) and Flight Training
Organisations (FTOs)
• Accreditation of CAA approved training programmes to attract academic credit that could count
towards a degree
• CAA requirements benchmarked against Middlesex academic (work-based learning) level
descriptors - ‘Ground School’ = 120 credits at level 4, ‘Flight Training’ = 100 credits at level 5
• Development of a fully integrated work-based learning degree that included ATPL/MPL
• Higher Apprenticeship in Professional Aviation Pilot Practice – level 6 issued March 2013
• BSc (Hons) Professional Aviation Pilot Practice degree validated jointly with CTC Aviation
• Alignment of professional licence requirements with academic learning outcomes
• Achievement of an Honours degree through professional training and work-based learning
• Access to tuition fee loan support widening access to the profession
Case study 3 – Chartered
Management Institute (CMI)
• Middlesex is a CMI Centre
• Linking London Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT) Project for Management
• Middlesex University Work Based Learning Curriculum Framework
• Review of Learning, Professional Development, Practitioner Inquiry, Negotiated WBL Project
• All University qualification types and sizes (Uni Cert – Masters) at level 4 to 7
• Award titles – Professional Practice in [area of work/practice] or WBLS (area of work/practice)
• CMI levels of professional membership
• Affiliate, Associate, Member, Chartered Member, Fellow, Chartered Fellow
• CMI qualifications – QCF
• QCF Diplomas in Management and Leadership at Levels 4, 5, 6, 7
• Mapping of NOS Management and Leadership and CMI qualifications against Middlesex
WBL Framework level descriptors and module learning outcomes
• Alignment of all WBL Framework qualifications with CMI membership and qualifications
• Added value for individuals and organisations – gaining academic and professional recognition
• Opportunity to widen membership for CMI
Group discussion and questions
• What other examples of the integration of professional competencies with academic
qualifications can you think of from your own experience?
• What was the context of the development?
• What were the benefits and/or issues?
• What further opportunities might there be for the integration of professional competencies
with academic qualifications?
• What are the implications for higher education curriculum development practice?
• Should higher education programme developers be expected to “consider how the approaches to
establishing professional status” can be integrated with the achievement of all academic
qualifications?